Tag: Monthly

Hardwood flooring is beautiful and durable, there’s no doubt about it. Your floors take a lot of wear and tear though, so much so that you might not even realize it. If you don’t stay on top of it, your floors can become dull and worn faster than you think. Let’s discuss the important things to take care of if you want to extend their life as much as possible.

Sweep or Vacuum Daily

First and foremost it’s a good idea to keep the floors broom-swept clean. Small pieces of dirt are not even noticeable, but as you walk on the floors you are driving these particles into the hardwood. The effect is similar to that of sandpaper over the long run. If you keep the floors broom-swept clean you’ll avoid this type of wear over the long haul.

It’s understandable if you simply don’t have the time to do this to your entire floor every day. I’ll be the first to admit – I don’t. What can you do to make sure this chore is taken care of? First, focus on the floors that see the most use. Next, get help. The old-fashioned way would be to assign this daily chore to a kid. The new and cool way is to get a vacuum robot. I go with the latter. It’s actually amazing how well they work.

Mop Weekly

With the dirt cleaned up it’s important to keep stains cleaned up on a regular basis. Liquid from drinks or otherwise and food will inevitably make it to the floor, and as they dry they won’t be picked up with a broom or vacuum. These stains can intermingle with the finish on the floors, and if they aren’t removed the effect can be permanent.

Even a cursory clean with plain water on a weekly basis can be enough to make the difference. Once a month on a full clean with detergent can be entirely sufficient. Just make sure you include this step in your routines.

Make Your Furniture Floor-Friendly

Aside from keeping your floors clean to prevent wear and tear from daily use, the next biggest thing that can damage your floors is wear from furniture. Pay particular attention to chairs, and make sure that the feet are properly protected with good-quality felt or something similar. All too often we see gouges in flooring from unprotected chairs, and this could so easily have been prevented.

Remember, your hardwood flooring is incredibly valuable. Just think of how much it would cost to replace it. Sure, you’ll have to get it polished over the course of years, but if you can make sure the wood itself stays in decent shape you’ll save yourself some expenses over the long haul. Plus it will look great as you enjoy your home for the years to come.

Moreover, when you finally go to sell your home it will be one less thing that a potential buyer would be unhappy with. If you have floors that look like they need to be upgraded, a potential buyer will be inclined to offer less money on your house. On the other hand, if your floors look shining and perfect it will give the buyers an impression that you’ve really taken care of the home and they’ll be inclined to trust that you have done so in other ways as well. Keeping your floors clean and vibrant can go a long way in bringing joy to your every-day life, and also maintaining the value of your home over the years that you use it.